Schumer also criticized the amendment for requiring voters to submit photocopies of IDs when submitting absentee ballots, arguing
it would infringe on voters’ right to secrecy.
“The sacred secrecy of our ballot would be undone by this amendment,” he said. “Anyone who voted by mail would have to put a voter ID inside the envelope, and the board of elections would have to open it up and see how you voted,” he added. “It would violate basic privacy.”
The core privacy protection for voters is the “secret ballot,” a long-standing practice guaranteed by state constitutions and statutes. This principle shields the voter’s specific choice of candidate or issue from public knowledge or governmental recording. The secrecy of the ballot prevents intimidation, vote-buying, or coercion from employers or political groups, allowing a voter to cast a vote according to conscience.